Protect elephant, tiger and orangutan habitats in Sumatra

Every day on the Indonesian island of Sumatra, vast tracts of rainforest are cleared and replaced with pulpwood, rubber and palm oil plantations.

Due to massive deforestation across Sumatra, the area of 30 Hills, known in the Indonesian language as Bukit Tigapuluh, is a last refuge for some of Sumatra’s most endangered wildlife. Moreover, this area of incredible biodiversity is one of the last places on Earth where elephants, tigers and orangutans coexist.

Only one-third of Sumatra’s remaining forests have some form of protection from development and logging. In fact, most of Sumatra’s landscapes – once covered by dense canopy and lush rainforests – are already gone.

There is a chance to save 30 Hills.

In Indonesia, most of the forest is owned by the government and is leased out for commercial activities as long-term “concessions”. These concessions allow companies to legally clear forests for logging, mining and industrial agriculture.

By asking the Indonesian government to rezone some of these concessions in 30 Hills, the landscape could be leased out to conservation organizations as “ecosystem restoration concessions.”

These new concessions offer a chance for forest restoration and wildlife conservation. In the process, these concessions would support local communities, ensure sustainable forest management and protect wildlife habitat. If the area isn’t rezoned, elephant, tiger and orangutan forests may disappear forever.

Help save 30 Hills – and the elephants, tigers and orangutans that remain.

The Bukit Tigapuluh landscape in Jambi Province, known as 30 Hills, is one of Indonesia's most biodiverse forests and one that is an important home to Orang Rimba and Talang Mamak indigenous people and habitat for critically endangered Sumatran elephants, tigers and orangutans. I urge you to ensure the protection of the Bukit Tigapuluh landscape through ecosystem restoration concessions as proposed by PT Alam Bukit 30, a coalition of local and international NGOs, to manage the forest blocks known as Jambi 1 and Jambi 2. This innovative forestry management under Indonesian law would allow this area of lowland tropical forest to be managed as intact forest as well as restoring areas that have been damaged.

This restoration concession would directly benefit the local communities and the wildlife living in Jambi Province. Sumatra's forests are of global importance for their biodiversity values. I urge you to ensure Bukit Tigapuluh's protection.